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Reduction of microemulsion propofol-induced injection pain via target-controlled remifentanil infusion

Y-J Chae1, S-K Min, S-K Park

  • 1Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

The Journal of International Medical Research
|February 1, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Remifentanil pretreatment effectively reduces pain from microemulsion propofol anesthesia injection. A target concentration of 4 ng/ml is recommended to minimize injection pain and complications.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Intravenous microemulsion propofol causes significant injection pain compared to lipid emulsion formulations.
  • Managing propofol injection pain is crucial for patient comfort during anesthesia induction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of different target effect-site concentrations of remifentanil in preventing pain associated with microemulsion propofol injection.
  • To determine the optimal remifentanil concentration for mitigating propofol injection pain.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 96 patients undergoing anesthesia induction.
  • Patients were assigned to receive remifentanil at target effect-site concentrations of 0 ng/ml (control), 4 ng/ml, or 6 ng/ml prior to microemulsion propofol administration.

Main Results:

  • Remifentanil pretreatment significantly reduced both the incidence and severity of injection pain compared to the control group.
  • No significant difference in pain reduction was observed between the 4 ng/ml and 6 ng/ml remifentanil groups.
  • The 6 ng/ml remifentanil group showed a higher rate of complications than the 4 ng/ml group.

Conclusions:

  • Pre-administration of remifentanil at a target effect-site concentration of 4 ng/ml is an effective strategy to decrease microemulsion propofol injection pain.
  • A remifentanil concentration of 4 ng/ml appears to be a favorable balance between efficacy and safety for managing propofol injection pain.

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